


To Change the World

by Gojaimas



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Long, Mystery, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29569665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gojaimas/pseuds/Gojaimas
Summary: The story of a princess who wants to be queen, a prince who is destined to be king, and a young man who might be a hero.
Kudos: 2





	1. Sophitia I

“Princess… Princess… Wake up, Princess Zelda.”

The princess opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize the words were not coming from her dream. She’d grown up hearing stories of her ancestors having prophetic dreams and communicating telepathically with heroes, but that was not the case this morning, it seemed. Turning her head to the side, the princess saw only her retainer, dressed in the black and red uniform of the Royal Guard, her sword at her side and her hands clasped patiently behind her back.

“Good morning,” the princess said in greeting, still adjusting to being awake. The morning air felt cool as she slid out from under the blankets of her elegant yet comically oversized bed. “...Why are you calling me Zelda?” she asked after a moment, finally processing the words her retainer had spoken. “That can get rather confusing with my sisters around.”

“I was merely being formal, Princess,” her retainer replied somewhat dryly, stepping over to the wardrobe and pulling out a dress for her. “Today is an important day. Besides, you are the only Zelda here at the moment, are you not?”

“True,” she agreed, joining her retainer by the wardrobe. “But even so, it’s not like you ever call me that. My middle name suits me better.”

“As you wish, Sophitia,” her retainer replied.

Sophitia simply nodded as she allowed her retainer to clothe her. Once her dress was fully laced up, she sat down in front of her vanity. “Liliana?”

“Yes, Princess?” the retainer responded, already reaching for the hair brush.

“Bring me my ledger first, please,” Sophitia requested.

Liliana nodded, walking over to the writing desk on the other side of the room to retrieve her charge’s book before quickly returning. “Do you have your schedule prepared for today?”

“Mostly,” Sophitia said, accepting the ledger as it was handed to her. Opening it, she drifted a finger across the pages, looking it over.

“Is that you pretending you did not have your schedule prepared two weeks in advance, and that you did not spend an hour looking over it last night?” Liliana commented, brushing her charge’s hair.

“I-It never hurts to be prepared, you know!” The princess felt mild embarrassment at having her habits brought to attention, but she quickly composed herself, clearing her throat. “Is anyone else arriving today?”

“Governor Vapith will arrive by midday,” Liliana informed her. “And I’ve been told Lord Remoth arrived last night.”

Sophitia began thinking it over. “If I finish my other meetings early, I may be able to greet the governor as she arrives, perhaps even invite her to tea.”

“Is it really necessary to attempt to wine and dine every noble who visits this week?” Liliana asked. “If you truly desire their support on something, slipping them a pile of rupees would be much quicker.”

“Oh, don’t be so crass,” Sophitia waved her hand dismissively. “To suggest they would even consider such an offer would be an affront to their honor.”

“Only to the honorable ones,” Liliana pointed out.

Sophitia let a small smile spread across her lips as she stared at herself in the mirror. Over the past few days, she had managed to independently land herself on good terms with several of the visiting mid-to-high level lords, some of whom had not even met her properly before. The prospect of having a governor or two backing her was enticing. For a moment, she allowed herself to picture the queen’s crown upon the head of her reflection. It was a common fantasy of hers, but she knew it was not to be a reality. That crown would go to her elder sister one day. Still, she was not content to sit idly while her elder siblings received all the recognition.

“Would you like to speak with Governor Bede when he arrives?” Sophitia asked.

“I don’t see why I would. I’ve never met the man,” her retainer replied.

“Truly?” Sophitia looked up at the reflection of Liliana in the mirror. “Not even before you left Ordona?”

“No, Princess.”

“Hmm. No matter.” Sophitia continued thumbing through the pages of her ledger while Liliana set about braiding her hair.

“You set aside time to have yourself some breakfast this morning, correct?” Liliana asked. “You have been skipping too many meals recently.”

“Not to worry, my friend,” the princess assured her. “I think a healthy meal is in order.”

“In the dining hall? Or shall I send for it?”

The princess thought for a moment. “The dining hall. This is most certainly a time for public appearances.”

Liliana nodded. “How does it look?” she asked, picking up a hand mirror and holding it behind the princess’s head.

Sophitia turned from side to side to get a good view. “Perfect,” she said, getting up from her seat. “Thank you, Liliana. Now, let us be off.”

The walk across the bridge from her tower to the main structure of Hyrule Castle always presented the princess with a breathtaking view of the grounds. She could see the gatehouses, the guards’ chambers, and the armory on the levels below. And beyond the walls and the moat, the capital city stretched as far as the eye could see. She smiled to herself as she gazed upon it.

_ How wonderful it would be to look upon it as queen. _

“You’re having megalomaniacal thoughts right now, aren’t you, Princess?” Liliana asked.

“C-Certainly not!” Sophitia objected. “Am I not allowed to look upon my kingdom with pride?”

“You are allowed to do whatever you wish, provided your father does not say otherwise.”

“Is that so? Why, this is great news. With that kind of power, I should be raiding every bakery in Hyrule for free cake and biscuits.”

“The breadth of your ambition is truly awe-inspiring, my princess.”

Making her way through the castle, Sophitia passed by several guards, all of whom greeted her with a slight bow. She took great care to greet each of them by name. It had been difficult enough to learn all their names, but many of them wore helmets, forcing her to also learn their family crests or their shift schedules so she could recognize them even without their faces visible. Her brother had been the first to tell her that this endeavor was a waste of time, but she disagreed. After all, if there ever came a time when the guards were forced to lay down their lives either for him or for her, she doubted their first choice would be to protect the prince who addressed them all only as ‘guard.’

“Sophie!”

Just as she reached the large double doors that led outside to the castle grounds, Sophitia heard a voice calling from behind her. Turning around, she saw her little sister running toward her.

“Oof!” she grunted when the younger girl collided with her, wrapping her in a hug. Sophitia had to bend over slightly to return the hug. At sixteen years of age, Sophitia was six years older than her younger sister, so she was quite a bit taller than her, despite looking very similar in many other ways. They both had the deep blue eyes all their siblings shared, as well as the bright blonde hair their father had once had before he’d gone gray. “Good morning, little sister.”

“Good morning!” the younger princess returned, hopping back from the hug.

“Princess Seraphina,” Liliana said, bowing courteously.

“Hi, Lily!” Seraphina gave her sister’s retainer an excited wave. “You wanna come to the temple with us?” she asked them both.

“Not this morning, thank you,” Sophitia declined. “We were just on our way to breakfast.”

“Aww, okay.”

As they spoke, a woman walked up behind Seraphina, having caught up with her after she’d run on ahead. The woman had long hair that was as red as any Gerudo’s, and she wore white armor over her royal guard’s uniform. In her hand, she carried with her an elegant gilded halberd. “Princess Sophitia. Miss Liliana.” She greeted them both with a bow.

“Dame Jeanne.” Sophitia returned the bow, and Liliana followed suit. Unlike Sophitia who employed a girl her own age as a personal retainer, the younger princess was in the care of a seasoned knight. “I apologize for being unable to join you and my sister at the temple this morning. However, as we are going the same way, I would be honored if you would walk with us.”

“The honor is all mine, Princess,” Dame Jeanne agreed.

Sophitia glanced over at Liliana. As she’d expected, her retainer looked as though she was putting considerable effort into not rolling her eyes. Liliana had never been great at stomaching the gratuitous formality that was often required of conversations among nobility.

Dame Jeanne and Liliana stepped forward onto opposite sides of the double doors and pushed them open simultaneously, holding them for the princesses who stepped past them into the crisp morning air. Almost all the structures on the castle grounds were connected and accessible without going outside, but it was quicker to get from the keep to the dining hall via the outdoor route, plus the weather was rather nice. As the four of them followed the path, walking past servants, laborers, and patrolling guards, Princess Seraphina skipped on ahead. Dame Jeanne kept an eye on her, but walked at a more reasonable pace alongside Princess Sophitia. Liliana followed, staying slightly behind and to the side of her charge.

“The castle certainly has been busy lately, hasn’t it?” Sophitia said, making small talk with her sister’s knight.

“Indeed,” Jeanne agreed. “With so many lords visiting, we’ve had to post more guards working longer shifts. Grand Protector Brigo has been under considerable stress trying to coordinate it all.”

“If only we had a hundred good knights like you. If that were the case, we would have no need of anyone else,” Sophitia said, paying Jeanne a compliment.

The crimson-haired knight smiled. “You flatter me, good princess.”

“Ugh…” Liliana let out a groan under her breath.

Sophitia looked back at her and smirked tauntingly. “I wouldn’t be opposed to having a hundred of you as well, Liliana.”

“Well, three princesses is more than enough for me.”

Dame Jeanne turned to Liliana, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Sophitia laughed good-naturedly, hoping to let the knight know her retainer’s humor had not offended her.

“Percy! Hey! Percy!” A short distance ahead of them, they could hear Seraphina shouting. They were approaching one of the gatehouses, and the young princess had spotted their brother Percival standing atop the wall, watching whatever was happening on the other side.

The prince’s armor was most certainly crafted with the intention of giving off a royal appearance, being made of red and gold plate etched with symbols of the Hyrulean Royal Family. He stood with his hands on the pommel of his sword, which was pressed down into the ground in front of him. The blade of his sword glowed faintly with two different magical enchantments - a holy golden light down one half, and fiery red-orange down the other. It was due to this unique design that the prince had (somewhat pretentiously) given his sword the name  _ War and Peace _ . Sophitia nearly scoffed every time she thought of it, and Liliana had mocked it to no end behind his back.

With his long red cape and loose blonde hair fluttering majestically in the wind, the prince looked as if he were posing dramatically for the court painter. Since he didn’t seem to hear Seraphina calling for him, the younger princess took off for the ramp leading up to the top of the wall.

“I suppose we should follow her,” Sophitia suggested.

When they reached the top of the wall, they found Seraphina clinging to her brother’s side, arms wrapped around his waist. Percival had not moved. Both of them looked down over the edge, watching some soldiers training within the gatehouse below.

Percival glanced over at them when he heard them approach. “Good morning, little sister,” he greeted Sophitia.

“Good morning, Brother. How goes the soldiers’ training?”

“See for yourself.”

Sophitia stepped closer to the edge. Down below, several soldiers were circled around one man, swords drawn and shields raised, all of them looking frightened. The man in the center was Sir Onnick, Prince Percival’s own personal bodyguard, as well as one of the most intimidating individuals Sophitia had ever met. He stood at over seven and a half feet tall, rarely uttered a word, and was almost never seen without his bulky plate armor, including a menacing horned helmet that concealed his face. Sophitia had heard a rumor amongst the guards and the commonfolk that the man was actually a Darknut, but she had seen his face before. Sir Onnick was no dog-headed monster. He was merely an unusually large Hylian. At the moment, he was spinning a massive spiked ball from the end of a chain, keeping the terrified guards he was sparring with from getting any closer to him.

“Oh, dear,” Sophitia said with concern.

“Looks like you’ll be needing to hire some new guards again soon,” Liliana said dryly.

“Prince Percival, are you sure this method of training is wise?” Dame Jeanne asked, apparently sharing Sophitia’s concern. “These soldiers could end up seriously injured.”

“True, but it’s important training nonetheless,” Percival said. “Our soldiers must be ready to face anything. We can’t have them fleeing in terror simply because their opponent is larger than them.”

Her brother’s words made sense, but Sophitia still saw it as ill-advised. Combat training was usually done with practice weapons made of wood or blunted too much to cause any real harm. She doubted the ball and chain that the large knight was swinging around was intended for any sort of practice.

Down below, one of the soldiers moved forward. Onnick released one of his hands from the chain, allowing the spikeball to fly in the soldier’s direction. He blocked it with his shield, but it still knocked him off his feet. Another soldier rushed at Onnick from behind, but as the knight yanked the chain to return the spikeball to him, he stepped to the side, letting the spikeball fly past him. The other soldier raised his shield and dove to the side, but the glancing blow was still enough to knock him to the ground.

Percival sighed, irritated at the lack of success.

Despite this, amidst the other failed attacks, a third soldier charged at Onnick’s side. He managed to reach him just as the knight noticed him, and he drove his sword into the much larger man’s chest.

Seraphina gasped in fear, placing a hand over her mouth. However, whether it was because the soldier was only using a training sword or because the knight’s armor was just too thick, the sword did not manage to penetrate far enough to cause any harm. Sir Onnick looked down at the smaller man for a moment, then lifted an armored fist and punched him in the face. The soldier slammed against the pavement as if he’d been thrown straight down, his helmet hitting the ground with a very audible  _ clack. _

This time, Seraphina screamed, and many others were paralyzed with fear for a moment as well. Blood could be seen pooling by the man’s head. Before anyone could stop her, the young princess ran for the ramp leading down into the gatehouse.

“Sera, wait!” Sophitia called after her.

“Princess, don’t!” Dame Jeanne said at the same time. The two of them took off in pursuit, with Liliana following behind. When they caught up with her, all the other soldiers had circled around their injured comrade, so they had to push their way through the crowd. Seraphina was kneeling beside the soldier on the ground. Sir Onnick had taken a few steps back, but otherwise was doing nothing to help.

“Sera, come here,” Sophitia told her sister. Even though the man had only been punched, the sheer force of it was enough to make her worry that he might be dead, and she did not want her little sister staring at a dead body.

Seraphina did not listen. She had her eyes closed, and with one hand, she clutched the triforce-shaped necklace she kept around her neck. She held her other hand above the injured man’s head. After a moment, a bright light began to shine from her outstretched hand. Jeanne and several of the soldiers lowered their heads, praying as Seraphina performed her magic, while the others watched intently.

Sophitia had never been proficient with healing magic, but her little sister seemed to have a natural affinity for it, and she was almost as talented as any of the well-trained healers residing in the Hyrule Cathedral. So, Sophitia decided to wait until her sister was finished. Even if she failed to heal the man, she could at least lie to her and say she’d been successful before having Jeanne usher her away from the scene.

When the light faded, Sophitia and Jeanne moved forward. The older princess took her little sister by the hand and pulled her to her feet, making her step back a bit. Jeanne knelt beside the soldier and pulled his mangled helmet off. Placing a hand on the man’s face, she moved his head to the side and examined him. There was still plenty of blood, but any wound that had been there before was now completely closed up. Jeanne put a finger to his pulse and leaned in to check if he was breathing. “He lives,” she declared.

The soldiers around them breathed a sigh of relief and began thanking the gods or praising the young princess. “The Goddess was kind this day,” Seraphina said.

Jeanne came over and placed a hand on her charge’s shoulder. “She was indeed, Princess. Your deeds should not be overlooked, either. You shall truly be the Sage of Light one day.” Seraphina smiled at this praise.

“What is going on?” said a voice from behind them.

Sophitia turned and saw her brother had finally arrived, having leisurely walked down from where he’d been standing atop the wall.

“He lives, my prince,” Jeanne repeated for his benefit. “Your sister managed to heal his wounds in time.”

Percival nodded. “Good work, little sister,” he said. Then he turned to Sir Onnick. “When he awakens, get his name. I want this man in my guard.” The giant simply nodded. “You two. Move him,” the prince went on, ordering two other soldiers to get the unconscious man out of the way. “The rest of you, back to training.”

Sophitia stared at her brother as he walked off. She’d been expecting him to admonish his knight, or at least instruct him to be more careful, but apparently he saw the whole ordeal as a complete success. “Well,” she said, turning to her sister and their guards. “I think we’d best be off.”

“Agreed,” Dame Jeanne said. The four of them walked to the gatehouse’s exit together, but Sophitia stopped to glance back at the soldiers one last time before they continued on.

Further down the sloping road through the castle grounds, they came to a crossroads. “Are you sure you won’t be joining us, Princess?” Jeanne asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid,” Sophitia answered. “Give Sage Aurun my regards.”

“As you wish.” Jeanne bowed before turning to leave.

“Bye bye!” Seraphina waved, then followed her retainer towards the gate that led out into the city.

“Shall we proceed to the dining hall, Princess?” Liliana asked.

“Yes,” Sophitia replied, starting to walk down the other path. “I’m quite hungry now.”

“Seeing that man’s head splatter against the pavement did nothing to spoil your appetite, then?”

Sophitia winced with unease. “Come, now. Do not joke about such things,” she complained. Luckily, the incident at the gatehouse was not the first time she had ever seen so much blood. She was thankful it hadn’t seemed to traumatize her little sister, but she guessed having the power to heal wounds like that would make most injuries seem trivial.

When the two of them entered the dining hall, a pair of serving girls immediately came up to them. “Good morning, Ena, Sorelia,” Sophitia said, greeting them by name the same way she did with the guards. “Bring me some bread and fish, if you please,” she requested. One of them bowed and left to retrieve her order from the kitchens.

“Eggs. And bacon. Lots of it,” Liliana said to the other one.

Sophitia scanned the room. Many of the castle’s guests were seated at the long tables throughout the dining hall. She assessed them one by one, trying to find someone of importance whom she had not had the pleasure of meeting yet.

“Who are the Zora?” Liliana asked, indicating a pair of guests across the room. “The ones playing cards with your brother.”

Sophitia looked in the direction her retainer was facing. At the end of the hall, she saw two finely dressed young Zora sitting across from her other brother, Lancel. Both of the fish-people had a red and white patterned, cartilaginous body with a fin drooping from the back of their head like a shark tail. Each of them wore a light blue sash over their chest, as well as an assortment of jewelry made from silver, opal, and sapphire.

Sophitia’s eyes went wide as she realized who they must be. “Princess Miphela and Prince Silorn,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know they had arrived yet.” Walking quickly, she made her way through the dining hall to join them, with Liliana following behind her.

Over at the table, the Zora prince turned a card on the table face up, then did so with another. “Curses! Again these infernal rectangles elude me!” He turned the cards back over.

“Unfortunate,” Lancel said mockingly. “My turn.”

Lancel was the older of Sophitia’s two brothers, although both of them were older than her. However, whereas Sophitia, Percival, and Seraphina had all inherited their father’s looks, Lancel took more after their mother. He was taller and skinnier than Percival, with short brown hair and a near-perpetual, playful smirk one would never find on the younger brother. A pair of spectacles framed his deep blue eyes, the only obvious feature he shared with his younger siblings.

Reaching over the table, Percival flipped over one of the cards Silorn had touched a moment ago, and then another card further away. “Another match!” he declared. “You’re falling quite far behind, my friend.”

“Well done, my good man,” Silorn said. “But I have not lost hope. I shall triumph against these overwhelming odds!”

“Good morning, Brother,” Sophitia said, arriving at their table.

Lancel turned his head. “Ah, Sister! Come and join us. You remember Miphela and Silorn, correct?” He gestured with his hands to the Zora sitting across from him.

The Zora prince and princess stood up. “Hello, Princess Sophitia. It is good to see you again,” Miphela greeted her, smiling meekly and bowing her head.

“The feeling is mutual,” Sophitia replied.

“Princess! How wonderful to see you! It has been far too long!” Silorn reached a hand across the table, and Sophitia took it. She was expecting a handshake of some sort, but instead he bent over to kiss the back of her hand. Liliana reached for the hilt of her sword as though she intended to draw it, but Sophitia waved her off.

“And this is Liliana, my retainer,” she said once her hand was returned to her, indicating the girl to her side. Liliana and Miphela nodded to one another. Silorn reached out his arm, no doubt intending to repeat his previous actions with the round-eared girl, but she held up her hand in quiet refusal while casually resting her other hand on her sword. Silorn got the message, but seemed unphased and continued smiling brightly as everyone sat down.

“The Zora prince and I are currently engaged in a battle of memory,” Prince Lancel informed his sister. “Would you care to put your brain’s abilities to the test as well?”

“I would love to,” Sophitia said. “Although if your memory were a little better, you would remember you’ve already used this trick on me.”

“Trick?” Silorn asked.

Sophitia reached over to the cards and began turning them over, revealing pair after pair until all the cards had been revealed.

“What sorcery is this?” Silorn asked. “Have you the gift of prophecy?”

“No, that is unfortunately not a magical talent I possess,” Sophitia informed him. Giving a sideward glance to her brother, she flipped a few cards over again, then pointed to one of them. “The cards are marked. See?”

Silorn and Miphela leaned in closely. Within the design on the back of the cards, tiny numerals could be seen, indicating the number of the card. Silorn gasped. “Chicanery!”

The prince smirked. “Now, now,” he said, holding up his hands disarmingly. “It was merely a humorous ruse. I confess to enjoying modest feats of deception and prestidigitation, but I draw the line at chicanery.”

“Might I borrow your thesaurus some time, Brother?” Sophitia asked. “I fear my sentences are too easily understood on occasion.” Silorn and her brother both laughed. Miphela and Liliana also both appeared to enjoy the jab at the two princes’ boisterous manner of speaking. “You were not gambling, were you?”

“No, we were not,” Lancel confirmed. “Luckily for him. Had we been gambling, I would own half of Lanayru by now.”

“Only because you cheated!” Silorn insisted.

Sophitia and Liliana moved back a little as the serving girls approached the table, leaning over to place plates of food in front of them. “Ah, splendid. Thank you very much, ladies.”

“You’re very welcome, Princess.” Both girls bowed as they left.

Sophitia and Liliana began to eat their breakfast. The others still had food left on their plates, so they continued their meal as well.

“How is King Ralis?” Sophitia asked Miphela.

“Father is well,” the Zora princess said. “He apologizes for being unable to attend the summit, but the Dominion has many matters of its own that he must attend to.”

“No apologies necessary. We are glad to welcome you and your brother in his place.” Sophitia thought it best not to mention that her father had not been pleased to hear the news that the Zora king would not be in attendance. He had wanted all eight of his governors present, and refusing a direct summons from the King of Hyrule was almost unheard of.

“Ah, yes. I suppose your lord father must be as busy as ours at the moment,” Lancel said. “An ice dragon appearing on Mount Lanayru just as reconstruction began in the Promenade, more and more round-eared humans from Holodrum and Labrynna settling in around the bay, Blin pirate attacks up and down the coast, and is it true the Dominion’s undersea territories are currently embroiled in a civil war of some sort?”

Sophitia was impressed. Apparently her brother had been keeping a close eye on the Zora Dominion, much more than she had been. The princess made a mental note of everything he’d just said so she could research it further sometime later.

“Well, ‘civil war’ is not precisely what I would call it,” Prince Silorn began. “In truth, it is more of a--”

Miphela placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder, giving him a look. Then she turned to Prince Lancel. “Yes, these are trying times for the Dominion,” she said. “But Father has asked us to avoid further burdening the Hylian royal family with our own troubles. Let us not dwell on these matters.”

“Your father’s concern for my family’s well-being is greatly appreciated, Princess,” Lancel said. “I look forward to my own father  _ not _ returning the favor when he decides to further burden the Zora royal family with Akkala’s troubles at the summit tomorrow.”

“Brother!” Sophitia said indignantly. Very few people would dare criticize the king so casually.

Princess Miphela pursed her lips. “I have faith that your father will act with fairness.”

“Yes. Of course. Fairness.” Sophitia said with a nod, glancing over at Liliana to make sure her retainer wasn’t rolling her eyes too hard at that.

Footsteps from behind signalled someone’s approach. “Prince Lancel.” Sophitia turned to see Sir Anselm, her brother’s retainer. He was a distinguished-looking man clad in black armor etched with silver. A man in his late fifties, he was older than their father and one of the oldest members of the Royal Guard.

“Ah, yes. I suppose it’s time to go, is it not?” Lancel stood up from the table, pushing his unfinished plate away from him.

“It is, my prince,” Sir Anselm confirmed.

“Time for what, Brother?” Sophitia asked curiously.

“Just some useless meetings,” Lancel said dismissively. “You know how it is, Sister. I’m sure it will all be quite tedious.”

_ Not telling me, huh? _

Sophitia supposed it was wise of her brother not to divulge which of the lords and ladies he may be speaking with that day. She, too, had been trying to avoid sharing too much information about her engagements.

Lancel gathered up his belongings that were scattered about the table, including a ledger quite similar to the one Sophitia carried. “Well, I must be off. Princess Miphela, Prince Silorn, it was marvelous to see the two of you again. Surely, we  _ must _ make more time for one another before you return home.”

“Yes, I would like that,” Miphela replied.

“Very well, worthy opponent!” Silorn declared. “Next time, I swear by Nayru I shall defeat you in a  _ fair _ contest of cards.”

Lancel laughed. “I shall make the utmost effort to ensure my hopefulness catches up with my doubt.” Together with his retainer, the prince took his leave.

* * *

After finishing her meal with the Zora prince and princess, Sophitia and her retainer exited the dining hall as well. For the next hour or so, going by her carefully planned schedule, she managed several meet and greets with other nobles visiting the castle. She wasn’t sure which of them were necessary, but it never hurt to put on a good face for guests.

“Wait a moment, Liliana,” the princess said, stopping in her tracks. They had been walking past the main gate on the way to her next potential meeting, and the gate had begun to open.

“Is someone new arriving?” her retainer asked.

“Possibly. It might be beneficial for me to be the first one to greet them.” With her hands clasped in front of her, Sophitia waited patiently as the gate opened until the entrants came into view. However, it was no newcomer she could introduce herself to. It was merely her sister returning from morning service. An escort of guards surrounded her as well as some servants with Dame Jeanne leading the way, but little Seraphina was not the only one they were escorting. Walking beside her was their other sister, Victorique.

As the oldest of the five royal siblings, Zelda Victorique Hyrule was the Crown Princess, first in line for the throne. As was tradition in their family, all three princesses shared the given name Zelda, but it was only Victorique who was commonly addressed by the famous name of Hyrule’s founding queen. Like Lancel, Victorique looked quite different when compared to the three youngest of the royal siblings. She was tall and slender, though not quite as tall as Lancel. Long brown hair cascaded down from the diamond circlet that crowned her head. Everyone in the kingdom said she was beautiful, just like the queen had been. Sophitia had few memories of her mother, but the portraits of her in the castle made the resemblance very clear.

Also included in the escort was Victorique’s retainer, Impa Ayako. She was the youngest member of the Sheikah clan’s ruling house, and like Sophitia and her own retainer, Victorique and Impa were the same age. The young woman possessed the snow-white hair and blood-red eyes common to the Sheikah, and a red tattoo emblazoned around her left eye made it resemble the distinctive symbol of her people. She wore her hair in a bun, but let a single braid fall along the right side of her face. While not fully armored like Dame Jeanne, she carried with her a rather fearsome-looking pole weapon with a curved blade at the end of it. Like Liliana, Impa did not possess a knightly title, but in her case, it was only because the Sheikah culture did not practice the same warrior traditions.

“Sophie!” Seraphina called out upon spotting her sister.

Sophitia smiled at her younger sister, still waiting patiently as the party approached. She turned her head and made eye contact with her elder sister. As usual, the Crown Princess wore a serious, no-nonsense look on her face. Even though she resembled their late mother, Victorique more often reminded Sophitia of their father.

When they got closer, Victorique raised a hand, dismissing her escort. Most of the guards and servants bowed silently and left, attempting to comply with her wordless command as respectfully and as quickly as possible. Only the two princesses and their retainers remained.

“We’re back!” Seraphina came forward to hug her sister.

“Welcome back,” Sophitia said warmly. “How was today’s service?”

“It was nice,” the young princess said. “Sage Aurun is always so kind.”

Victorique approached next, with Impa trailing behind. The Sheikah woman was as serious as her charge, yet there was something more off-putting about her gaze. It was almost contemptuous.

“Good day to you, Sister,” Victorique said with a subtle nod.

“And to you as well, Sister,” Sophitia replied, attempting to speak as politely as possible to her elder sister.

“Might I ask what you occupied yourself with while Seraphina and I attended service?”

_ I know where this is going. _

“I have been entertaining our honored guests,” Sophitia said truthfully, although she felt like she was defending herself. “I dined with Princess Miphela and Prince Silorn earlier this morning. Were you aware they had already arrived?”

“It is important for those of us in the Royal Family to attend service regularly,” Victorique stated, completely evading Sophitia’s attempt to change the subject. “The people need to see we are still connected with our divine ancestor.” Impa and Dame Jeanne both nodded in agreement.

“Yes… I know,” Sophitia said. “My apologies, Sister. This is a busy week, and we are all doing our best to prepare for the summit.”

Impa narrowed her eyes, as if she were unsatisfied with that excuse. Sophitia gave a side glance to Liliana, hoping to preemptively stop her from saying anything in response to the scornful glare.

Victorique nodded. “Yes, this is true. I commend your diligence. Please continue to help ensure the success of the summit, but I hope you will make an effort to find time for our other duties as well.”

“I will. Thank you, Sister,” Sophitia said with a slight bow of her head. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her elder sister didn’t seem too disappointed with her, and Sophitia was always glad to avoid a lecture.

“You are most welcome.” Victorique returned the bow respectfully. “Tell me, Sister, have you any time for some training? I wouldn’t wish to see you fall behind on your studies.”

“Princess Zelda,” Impa spoke up from behind her charge. “I feel I must remind you that your own schedule is quite full already. Surely your sister can wait.”

“Come now, Ayako,” Victorique replied. “We must always make time for family. I doubt Shiho ever neglected to assist you with your training.”

Impa paused for a moment, then gave a nod and glanced off to the side, saying nothing. Sophitia thought she looked uncomfortable. The princess had never met Impa Ayako’s elder sister, and the Sheikah woman never talked about her either. However, Impa’s mother and sister still lived back in Old Kakariko, not in the capital. She likely did not see them very often these days.

Sophitia cleared her throat. “Yes, thank you, I believe I could make time for a little practice.” Living in the capital, there was no shortage of masters who would be willing to train a member of the Royal Family in just about any art imaginable. However, Sophitia’s elder sister was a prodigy when it came to fencing, archery, and spellcraft, just as she seemed to be with everything she tried her hand at. Regardless of how much that bothered her sometimes, Sophitia recognized it would be a waste of an opportunity if she didn’t allow her sister to teach her what she knew.

“Splendid,” Victorique said.

“Ooh! Ooh! Can I come, too?” Seraphina asked, bouncing on her feet excitedly.

Victorique turned to the youngest Zelda. “Would you like to watch, little sister?”

“Yeah! Yeah!”

Sophitia had always found it odd that Seraphina enjoyed watching her and their other siblings spar. The little girl was not a fighter herself, and she disliked violence as a whole. However, she seemed to view the training her siblings did as a harmless game rather than practice for any real fighting.

“Very well,” Victorique replied. “Dame Jeanne, perhaps you could instruct Ayako and Miss Liliana as well?”

“Of course, Princess Zelda. It would be my honor.” Dame Jeanne may have served the youngest of the princesses, but she was still the senior of the other royal guards present.

“You have my gratitude,” Victorique said. “Let us return to the keep. We shall meet in the courtyard after Sophitia and I have changed into clothing more suitable for athletics.”

The six of them made their way back uphill through the castle grounds until they arrived at the keep. There, they parted ways, with Seraphina and Jeanne heading straight for the courtyard while the other princesses returned to their towers with their retainers in tow.

“Is something bothering you, my friend?” Sophitia asked, noticing the sour look on her retainer’s face as they climbed the spiraling staircase up to her bedroom.

“Yes, there is,” Liliana replied. “It has white hair and an unflinching death glare.”

Sophitia smirked. “You dislike the thought of training with my sister’s retainer?”

“The training is fine. It’s  _ her  _ I dislike.”

Reaching the top of the stairs, Sophitia withdrew her key and unlocked the door, pushing it open. “Yes, I suppose she can be something of a…”

“Bitch?”

_ “Chore.” _ Sophitia looked over her shoulder, as if she were worried someone might have overheard Liliana. “Please guard your tongue. The smallest of insults can make the largest of enemies.”

“Apologies, Princess,” Liliana replied, shutting the door behind them. She then stepped forward to help Sophitia change. “Sometimes I forget how much you nobles love to avoid saying what you mean.”

“Heh,” the princess laughed lightly. “That much is true. You shall be a noble too, though, one day.”

“Oh? Do you plan to marry me after you knight me?” Liliana quipped as she undid the lacing of Sophitia’s dress. “That would be simple. I’ve already seen you undressed.”

Sophitia laughed more heartily at this. “No, my dear. But when I am older and become governor of one of the provinces, I shall name you a lady and grant you good lands for you to start your own House.” Moving over to her wardrobe, she selected a pair of trousers that would be easier to move in than her dress.

“That is quite generous of you, Princess,” Liliana said. “But if you’re planning to be a governor, does that mean you no longer wish to be queen?”

Sophitia blushed a little at the mention of her own personal fantasy. “...Well, I do not  _ dislike _ the notion,” she admitted. “But my elder sister shall take my father’s place one day. Were I to be queen, that would mean the unthinkable would have happened to her and my brothers, and I do not wish that.” Liliana did not seem to have anything to say to that, but began putting the princess’s hair up to prevent it from getting in her way during training. “Have you given any more thought to what you will name your House when I knight you?” Sophitia asked.

“Not a great deal, Princess,” Liliana replied. “I’ve considered writing home to ask about it. If it is to be the family name, my family might wish to have a say in it, too.” With her charge’s hair fixed, Liliana moved to the weapon displays on the wall. Carefully, she placed her hand around the hilt of a gleaming, gilded rapier and lifted it off of its mount. As if curious, she flicked it through the air like a conductor’s baton, then did so a second time. With each flick, the enchanted weapon radiated a brief flash of light and emitted a soft, pleasant hum.

“How does it feel?” Sophitia asked.

“Surprisingly heavy,” the other girl responded, handing the weapon to the princess. After Sophitia took it from her, Liliana drew her own weapon, a rather dull-looking steel broadsword. She lifted it and let her hand drop a few times, as if demonstrating its heft. “Weighted differently than mine, but still quite substantial. Have you ever considered a weapon like mine?” she asked. “Prince Percival could probably teach you.”

“I doubt my brother would be willing to teach me much of anything.” Sophitia sheathed her rapier by her side. “Let us be off. I would hate to keep my sister waiting,” she said, a little more dryly than she meant to.

“Yes, Princess.”

Together, they exited the room, walked down the steps again, and returned to the keep. From there, they made their way to the courtyard.

Victorique was waiting for her when Sophitia stepped outside, greeting her with a slight nod of her head. Dame Jeanne was already sparring with Impa, their weapons clacking against each other as they fought. Seraphina was off to the side, happily cheering for her knight as if she were watching a tournament.

“Are you ready?” Victorique asked.

“Yes, Sister.”

Victorique turned to the sparring women. “Ayako, give my sister’s retainer a turn with Dame Jeanne.”

Jeanne and Impa stopped fighting, and Impa stepped out of the circle. With an irritated look at Liliana, she abruptly tossed her weapon to her. Liliana caught it in the air and offered no thanks to the older girl as she walked over to join Dame Jeanne.

As they had done many times in the past, Sophitia and her elder sister took their places across from one another, drew their swords, and bowed before taking their stances. Her sister’s rapier was much the same as hers. Victorique actually had two of them, although she kept one of them sheathed on her other hip for now. All three of these weapons had been forged by the Grand Artisan and enchanted by the Sage of Light. Victorique had possessed hers for some time, and she’d commissioned Sophitia’s as a gift for her fifteenth birthday.

Sophitia stepped forward first, closing the gap between them and thrusting with her sword. Her sister parried it with ease. She had to lean back to dodge the counterattack, then she tried for another thrust.

“Oooh!” Seraphina cooed in awe of the impressive lightshow created as the radiant swords danced around one another, occasionally letting out an exceptional burst of light when the two rapiers clanged together for a brief moment.

“Always keep my blade in your sight,” Victorique advised mid-battle. “And be mindful of your footing.”

Sophitia nodded. The advice was always appreciated. Her sister could have defeated her quite easily, but this was merely practice, so she was holding back enough for Sophitia to make some headway and expose what she needed to improve on, which was always a lot. Combat had never been her strong suit. She preferred the pen to the sword, but as her elder sister constantly reminded her, both will always be necessary for anyone in their position.

A few minutes into their duel, Sophitia managed to force her sister back several paces with a chain of quick attacks. All her blows were parried, until the very last one. She went in for a clean blow, and as expected, a shimmering, violet, diamond-shaped magical barrier appeared around her sister, blocking the attack as if it were a shield.

_ That’s one point for me. _

“Very good,” her sister praised her. “Again.”

Sophitia tried to repeat what she had done a moment ago, but Victorique anticipated her moves. She parried several blows, then went in for an easy counterattack. Sophitia barely had time to surround herself in her own protective blue barrier. Healing magic may not have come easily to her, but she could handle protection magic.

“Try to be quicker with your barrier,” Victorique advised. “During a fight, you should always have the spell primed for use at a moment’s notice.”

“Yes, Sister.”

_ One to one, now. _

Their training session continued like this for some time. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Liliana's training with Impa and Dame Jeanne progressing as well. Victorique continued to hold back enough to be approachable while still presenting a challenge, and Sophitia took advantage of the older girl’s experience to learn as much as she could.

However, at one point, something changed in her sister’s demeanor. After forcing Sophitia back, the elder princess stepped back a few paces herself. She stood up straight, held out her sword, and took a deep breath. The look in her eyes was different now. She was no longer an amiable teacher. She looked completely serious.

_ I know what that means. _

Sophitia looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, up on the balcony behind her, there stood their father, King Tychon. He must have just arrived, but rather than announce his presence, he had chosen to observe their duel. The lordly robes he wore and the wingcrest-shaped crown upon his head left no doubt that he was indeed the king, but that wasn’t what most people found intimidating about the man. He stared down at them with a gaze as icy as the one her sister now looked at her with. Victorique was ordinarily kind enough, if a bit stiff sometimes. But, under the watchful eye of their father, she was always the perfect daughter - a perfect imitation of himself.

Sophitia turned back to her sister, breathing deeply and nervously as she now felt her father’s eyes on the back of her head. She comforted herself with a reminder that this was merely training, and learning how to handle herself under pressure like this was important. That barely made it any easier.

Princess Victorique drew her second rapier, but she released it from her hand in midair. There it stopped, surrounded by a faint red glow, suspended by her sister’s magnesis spell. After a moment, it spun into place beside her, as if she had an invisible teammate ready to be her companion in this fight. Before Sophitia had time to fully process what was happening, her sister charged at her.

What proceeded was a grueling, one-sided fight. Sophitia did her best to parry both the sword in her sister’s hand and the one defying gravity, but she had no hope of ever counterattacking. With every parry, she was forced back, steadily moving towards where she knew her father stood above them. At the very least, her sister’s advice about keeping protection spells primed was extremely useful. Unable to keep up with her sister’s attacks for long, she soon needed to protect herself with magic constantly, and Victorique showed no signs of slowing down. It seemed she planned to continue until Sophitia had exhausted every last sliver of her magic, thus leaving her unable to protect herself anymore. Sophitia knew she could’ve ended it herself by voicing her surrender… but her father would remember that.

_ Please, Sister. Mercy. _

Sadly, mercy did not seem to be on her sister’s mind. Resigned to her humiliation, Sophitia kept up her defense as best she could, watching her barriers become more and more transparent as her magic waned.

Suddenly, from the side, a broadsword swung downwards, knocking the floating rapier to the ground. Liliana stepped between Sophitia and her sister, swinging her sword once again to block a strike from Victorique’s other sword.

No words were said, and no further movements were made. Liliana stood there, sword pointed at the elder princess. Victorique held her rapier to the side, staring back at her. Sophitia collapsed to one knee, feeling the exhaustion set in all of a sudden.

“Well fought.” Their father’s deep voice came from above them, apparently deciding the duel was over. Sophitia pushed a hand against the ground, pivoting in place until she faced him, still kneeling.

“Thank you, Father,” Victorique replied respectfully.

“Meet me in my studies. And bring your sisters. I must speak with you all.” That was all he said before turning to leave. Not one word spoken to any of the other five people present.

“Are you well, your highness?” Liliana asked, kneeling down beside Sophitia and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes. I am not harmed,” she replied. “Thank you, Liliana.”

Victorique stood beside her and offered her a hand. Sophitia took it, climbing back to her feet. “My deepest apologies,” her elder sister said simply. Her face showed little emotion, but Sophitia could see it in her eyes that she meant it. “You did well today. I have seen a marked improvement.”

“...Thank you, Sister.” Sophitia wanted to say more. A lot more. For a moment, she wanted to scream at her sister, but she forced those feelings down. No good could come of an outburst like that. She thought back to when she was a small child, perhaps half the age Seraphina was now. Whenever she’d throw a tantrum, her father would stand there silently, staring at her with those steely eyes until she’d tired herself out. When she’d calmed down, he would ask her,  _ “Now what did that accomplish?” _ Nothing. Always nothing.

The elder princess turned to Liliana next. “You performed your duties admirably, miss. I am heartened by the knowledge that my sister is under your protection.”

Liliana looked like she wanted to yell at her even more than Sophitia did, but she thankfully held her tongue. “Thank you, Princess Zelda.”

With a wave of her hand, Victorique’s discarded rapier was lifted off of the ground, slowly returning to its scabbard. “Seraphina.”

“Yes, Vicky?”

“Come, Sisters. Best not to keep Father waiting.”

Sophitia agreed. Together, the three sisters and their retainers went back inside the keep. After climbing several flights of stairs and making their way down a few winding hallways, they arrived outside the doors to the king’s study. Sir Anselm and Sir Onnick were standing beside the king’s guards on either side of the doors, which meant Lancel and Percival must have been inside already. Sir Onnick no longer carried his absurd ball and chain weapon. Instead, a slightly less absurd yet still massive two-handed greatsword was strapped to his back. Sir Anselm carried a more sensibly-sized broadsword on his hip, much the same as Liliana’s, if a bit less plain.

“Sir Anselm. Sir Onnick,” Victorique greeted the two knights as their party approached. Sir Onnick nodded in return, but said nothing.

“My greetings, Princesses,” Sir Anselm said to all three sisters. “Your father is expecting you. Please go in.” He and Sir Onnick each opened one of the doors and stood to the side.

The princesses all looked to their respective retainers. “We shall wait for you here, Princesses,” Dame Jeanne said. Liliana and Impa nodded their agreement. And so, Sophitia and her sisters stepped into their father’s study, the door closing shut behind them. Just like when her father had appeared in the courtyard, Sophitia saw her elder sister’s face harden as though she were heading into battle.

Inside, their father sat at his desk, waiting patiently for them. Sophitia knew this room was where her father spent the majority of his time. He had the grandest throne room in all the world, yet ruling the kingdom was truly done from behind that desk, writing up orders to be issued to his governors or drawing up new laws to be implemented by the Grand Arbiter.

Across from the desk, five guest chairs had been lined up. As predicted, Lancel and Percival were already there. Percival sat at attention with perfect posture. He wasn’t quite playing the role of the perfect son as much as Victorique was playing the role of the perfect daughter, but he had an air of refinement and self-importance that seemed to come naturally to him. Lancel, on the other hand, was lazing comfortably in his chair, leaning off to the side with one foot pulled up onto the seat. “Ah! Welcome, Zelda, Zelda, and Zelda!” he greeted them amiably.

“Hi, Lance!”

“Greetings, Brother.”

“Sit properly, please.”

Lancel held up his hands in mock surrender as he adjusted his position. Percival nodded in greeting to them as well. Their father simply stared at them patiently as the princesses moved to take their seats.

“Victorique. Have all the governors arrived?” the king spoke, getting straight to the point.

“No, Father. But the last of them shall arrive by nightfall. However, all the lords of Central Hyrule who were summoned have arrived as of this morning.” Victorique was quick and concise as she delivered her report.

“Lancel. Has all pertinent information been assembled and distributed to those who will be in attendance?”

“Indeed, Father. Grand Archivist Botrick and his subordinates transcribed more than enough copies of the dossier earlier this week. The Rito postmen have been delivering copies to every lord as they arrive.” Lancel’s words were accompanied by gratuitous hand gestures and a smirk that seemed to imply a joke that only he was in on, but the king was satisfied with his answer.

“Percival. What of security?”

“Guard details have been assigned to all visiting lords who will accept them. The number and rank of the guards are decided by the importance of the guest. The city watch has doubled its manpower and all who enter the city are being thoroughly vetted.” Percival delivered his report in much the same manner as Victorique.

Sophitia had the thought that this was all information her father must have already received from the Grand Councilmembers at some point. That meant her father wasn’t really looking for updates. He was quizzing them in order to judge how well his children had been keeping up with the situation.

_ No one’s been keeping a closer eye on things than me. I can handle this. _

“Sophitia. What news from Faron?”

The princess furrowed her brow. None of the major issues on the agenda for the summit involved the Faron Province. However, her father likely wanted them to be keeping tabs on all issues throughout the kingdom, not just the ones immediately in front of them.

_ He must be talking about the Lynels. _

It was the only issue related to Faron she could think of. “More and more Lynels from across the grasslands have been gathering atop Ibara Butte. The horde is estimated to be about one hundred strong as of last week. The speculation is that the Horse God Malanya has returned. For security, Governor Stylas hired several dozen adventurers to defend the City of Fural before he left for the capital. However, the Lynels have not attacked the city and have shown no outward signs of aggression, aside from attacking those who come too close to their territory.” Governor Stylas had told her as much when she met with him earlier, so she knew the information was accurate. However, she still held her breath for the brief moment it took her father to consider her response. She exhaled a silent sigh of relief when he finally turned away from her.

“Seraphina. How have the collections been at the cathedral recently?”

“Oh. Well, sadly a bit low, I think. But there have been many people in attendance! Perhaps if you joined us sometime, Father, more people would be inspired to donate as well?” Seraphina offered her suggestion with a smile. Their father attended service even less than Sophitia did.

“I see,” was their father’s reply, ignoring Seraphina’s suggestion and moving on. “Very good. Now, the summit is tomorrow, and preparations are nearing completion. All of you will be present. You will be able to give your input then, but I will hear recommendations now.”

“Yes, Father,” Sophitia spoke up, hoping to be the first to jump at the opportunity. “I actually have detailed plans to suggest for Hebra, Gerudo, and Akkala. My notes are in my chambers, however.”

“It matters not,” Percival said bluntly, turning everyone’s attention to him. “The lords will call for military intervention in all three provinces in question. We have the largest army on the continent, it has been proven to be a quick and effective solution in the past, and the lords relish the opportunity to flaunt their strength. Not one of them will hear any other plan of action.”

“Oh, come now, brother. Where’s the fun in that?” Lancel interjected. “Sending in the army as the lords wish is easy. Persuading them to see things your way is the real challenge.”

“Politics is no game, Brother,” Percival said with mild irritation.

“Everything’s a game if I can win it!”

The king made a low grunting sound of disapproval, although Sophitia could not tell who it was directed at. “Have you anything to add, Victorique?” he asked, addressing the eldest.

“I have my own thoughts, yes,” she replied. “I have no doubt most of the lords will push for war on all fronts. However, that is exactly what we are trying to avoid. I will heed their words, but I will push for diplomacy.”

Sophitia glanced at Seraphina, who had said nothing yet. The young girl looked a little nervous, but mostly just confused. She likely only had a vague understanding of the situation. However, she seemed to figure out that Victorique’s answer meant ‘no war,’ and that was enough to make her smile optimistically.

“Very well,” the king said. “Regardless of what is decided, I shall have you in charge of the situation in one of the provinces as you see fit.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Now, I believe you have other duties to attend to. Dismissed.”

Victorique stood up and bowed before turning to leave.

“You too, Seraphina,” their father added, likely seeing no use in placing any additional responsibilities on such a young girl.

Seraphina stood up and curtsied with perfect poise, then followed her elder sister out of the room.

“As for the rest of you,” the king went on. “Have you anything else to add?”

Sophitia was again quick to answer first. “Yes, Father. Might I be allowed to take the lead with one of the other provinces, however the council decides?”

“Or does only the  _ heir _ get to have any  _ real  _ power?” Lancel said, his voice carrying more mockery than Sophitia thought wise.

Their father turned to him. “Were it not for your insouciance, boy, you might have a better chance of earning my crown.”

Lancel smirked, chuckling derisively. “Please, Father, do not tell us lies. Your eldest would be your successor even if we were to set aside my very, very few faults.”

_ Brother, stop! _

The king narrowed his eyes, looking over his children in front of him. “Are you all under the impression that I have selected my heir based on something as inconsequential as the order of your birth?”

Sophitia furrowed her brow in confusion.

_ Have you not? _

“True, your elder sister has the advantage of being my firstborn. She has a few more years of experience that none of you can catch up to. However, were any of you to prove yourselves more qualified to rule this kingdom after I am gone, I would name you my successor instead.”

Sophitia’s eyes went wide at this sudden revelation. Lancel seemed excited at the prospect of being king as well, and even Percival was standing up straighter as if he were trying to give himself a more lofty appearance.

“Truly, Father?” Percival asked. “Your heir is not set in stone? Any of us might next have the throne should we prove ourselves worthy?”

“Yes,” the king confirmed. “And while none of you have accomplished anything of note that might elevate yourselves above your elder sister as of yet, the possibility remains.”

Percival narrowed his eyes at their father’s offhandedly contemptuous remark.

“Let us prove ourselves, then,” Sophitia insisted. “This is the perfect opportunity, is it not? Do not rely on Victorique alone after the council’s judgment has been made. Let us all contribute.”

Their father regarded them all for a moment, one by one, as if measuring their worth with only a cursory glance. “I do not plan on dying so soon. My successor shall not be decided from this conflict alone,” he said. “But, I suppose it is somewhere to start. Very well. We shall speak of this again tomorrow once a course of action has been decided. Dismissed.”

The three siblings stood up together and bowed before making their exit. Outside the door, they found their bodyguards waiting for them. Upon seeing the princes, Sir Anselm and Sir Onnick stood at attention. Liliana took another moment to notice before snapping to attention alongside them.

“Knight. With me,” Percival said to Sir Onnick, not breaking his pace as he continued down the hall. The great knight nodded and fell in line behind the prince.

“Was the meeting productive, your highness?” Sir Anselm asked Lancel.

“Oh, more than you could guess, Hand,” the prince responded with a cocky grin.

Sophitia was still processing the news. The realization had been coming to her in waves, but she was still having trouble believing it.

_ I can be queen. _

She felt her heart beating fast, and an excited smile was spreading across her face. “Liliana, with me, please,” she said, setting off down the hall ahead of Lancel.

“Yes, Princess,” her retainer replied, coming to her side. “What happened in there? Good news?”

_ “Very _ good news!” Sophitia confirmed. “I need my ledger. We have much to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, thanks for reading. This is the start of a much larger story, and I’ll be posting a new chapter every two weeks. I haven’t finished the whole story yet, but I have first drafts of enough chapters to last for a little over a year while I try to finish the rest of it. I’ll be doing comment responses either in my author’s notes or on my tumblr, so feel free to send me any questions you may have.


	2. Harun I

There was nothing but a great pit. Darkness as far as the eye could see. An endless abyss, plunging deep into the Earth, yet by appearance, no different than looking upward into a starless night sky. Devoid of light, devoid of life. But something stirred in the darkness. Something prodigious. Something powerful. Something that would not remain sealed. It rose. Only a nebulous mass at first, but soon, its form became clear. A great beast, immense in size, wreathed in shadow. Its jaws opened, baring a thousand teeth and a ceaseless hunger. Still it rose, as though to swallow the world, heralded by a monstrous roar that would shake the heavens.

Harun awoke in a panic, panting, his face and chest covered in a cold sweat. His eyes darted around the room, expecting to see the great beast’s jaws closing around him, but he saw no such thing. He was in his bedroom, and the sun outside the window was rising. As the fear dissipated, his breathing steadied, and he allowed himself to lie back onto his bed.

_ Only a dream. _

As he did every time he saw the beast, he reminded himself that it was nothing but a nightmare, but this did little to comfort him these days.

_ Third time this week... _

The beast had been haunting him for years, as if chasing him through that cold, dark abyss. In the past, the nightmares had been infrequent. Sometimes he’d gone months without them, nearly forgetting their existence. However, the nightmares had been occurring more often lately, as if the beast was getting closer.

_ No. There is no beast. Only a dream. _

He was beginning to believe that less and less nowadays. When he was younger, he’d shared these dreams with some of his teachers in the queen’s court and with the spirit priestesses in the city, but nothing had come of it. They had all told him it was only a dream, and he’d believed them. Would they still say the same?

_ I suppose no harm can come of asking again... _

Sighing deeply, Harun climbed out of bed. Stepping over to his window, he saw the early morning sun was rising over the desert. The queen had court that morning, and he was to attend. Any inquiry about his dreams would have to wait until later. He had time for only a short breakfast in the dining hall before joining the queen elsewhere in the palace.

The throne room was the most impressive sight in all of Naboris. The throne itself stood on a raised platform at the end of the room with a few small steps leading up to it. Just behind it was a large opening in the stone wall leading out to a balcony, which served to let the desert sun’s rays stream in and light the room. Throughout the interior, large stone pillars stretched from the floor to the great high ceiling. Water features and gigantic statues of the Seven Heroines filled the room for decoration. Harun had heard tales of the Hyrule Castle throne, claiming it put theirs to shame, but he had trouble imagining that.

When Harun came in from the side entrance, he found the chamber already crowded. Urballa, Queen of the Gerudo, sat upon her throne, a great stone seat with a tall backrest stretching almost up to the ceiling. She appeared somewhat casual, with one leg crossed over the other, waiting patiently for the rest of her court to arrive before beginning. Her thin clothing was made from the finest silks, and exquisite jewelry of gold and colorful gemstones adorned her person wherever possible. Her crown was an exotic headdress sitting upon a head of bushy red hair, capped with a red ruby held against her forehead above her green eyes and blue-painted lips. Her face appeared stern at times as she looked out over the crowd that had gathered before her, but the occasional playful smile betrayed her warmer nature.

On either side of the queen stood one of the Iron Knuckles, the elite Gerudo warriors who donned the heaviest of platemail. They each held a large golden claymore, pressing the tip of it down into the floor with their hands on top of the pommel, posing the way the statues of the Heroines stood. At the front edge of the throne dais was their commander, Bularis. Her armor was as heavy as her subordinates, but it appeared as though it was made of solid gold. She held in her hand a massive battleaxe, while she kept her great horned helmet tucked away under her other arm. On the ground surrounding the raised platform was a line of guards dressed in violet clothing, each holding a spear and standing at attention.

Also on the throne platform and forming a U-shape around it were various noble ladies of the queen’s court. They were her trusted advisors, confidants, and subordinates. Filling the throne room before them was a crowd of several dozen other women from the surrounding city, both noble ladies and the commoners who attended them. They had all come with business that required the queen’s attention in one way or another, whether it be legal disputes or matters of civil projects.

Lastly, in the back corners of the dais were two smaller thrones, one for the princess and one for the prince-in-waiting. Harun’s was currently empty. The other was occupied by Princess Sabah, the queen’s only blood child. She looked very much like her mother, albeit a much younger version of her. The queen nodded to Harun as he stepped up to take his seat behind her, and he bowed in greeting. He glanced over to Princess Sabah. She gave him a light smile, which he returned briefly before looking out across the throne room.

After a few minutes, the last of the queen’s court finished filing in, so Urballa began the proceedings. With a wave of her hand, she signaled for silence throughout the throne room. The murmuring of several dozen private conversations died down in seconds. From the side, a woman approached the throne. Elder Kobami was the queen’s top advisor and a witch who had been alive since before the Twilight War. Her old age gave her a wrinkled and decrepit appearance, and her skin had a sickly, dark-greenish hue -- an unfortunate side effect of the life-prolonging magic she employed. Hobbling along supported by a cane, she eventually reached the queen and handed her a rolled up scroll of parchment. Queen Urballa took it in hand and unfurled it.

The simplest items were first on the agenda, and they proceeded without incident. A citizen would approach the throne, inform the queen of an issue or make a request of her, receive her response, and leave. Harun watched closely, examining every judgment the queen made, trying to deduce the reasoning behind it. As the sole living male Gerudo, it was his duty to one day marry the princess and become king, whether he wished it or not. Due to the importance of his future role, Queen Urballa had always told him it was imperative that he learn how to rule properly.

When it came time to hear the last item of the day, the throne room was still crowded with citizens of Naboris. The fact that so many Gerudo stuck around to witness the ruling told Harun that this was a matter of great concern. He leaned forward in his seat as two women approached the throne. He recognized them. The younger woman wearing white and gray was Lady Calisa, one of the most vocal supporters of Hyrulean unity. The older woman wearing black and violet was Lady Shabonne, one of the most open advocates for Gerudo independence.

_ Oh no… _

It was never a good sign when those two groups came to court.

“My queen,” Lady Calisa said as she and Lady Shabonne both knelt before Urballa. “I come before you today with a grievance regarding this woman.” She gestured to the older Gerudo kneeling beside her.

“And I come to you with a simple request,” Lady Shabonne stated.

“Rise,” Queen Urballa commanded. She regarded the two of them for a moment, deciding who to question first. “What is your request, Lady Shabonne?”

“I merely wish to erect a statue of the Great Ganondorf in the city square to celebrate the centennial of his second coming,” Lady Shabonne answered.

Worried murmurs quickly picked up throughout the room. Many people glanced at Harun, some more subtly than others. Angrily, he narrowed his eyes and kept his gaze forward, trying to ignore them. Ever since he was a child, people had been telling him he was destined to follow in the footsteps of the ‘Great Ganondorf.’ Some meant it as a compliment -- others, a condemnation.

Queen Urballa silenced the noise again with another wave of her hand. “And I take it  _ that _ is your grievance, Lady Calisa?” the queen asked.

“It is, my queen,” Calisa confirmed. “Such an act would be a blatant violation of our agreement with the Royal Family of Hyrule. And what’s more, it would be an unforgivable act of blasphemy against Hylia. We cannot allow statues of  _ demons _ to be erected in our city.” Cheers of agreement from her supporters quickly followed.

“And what have you to say in defense of your request, Lady Shabonne?” Queen Urballa asked the other woman.

“Her words are pure nonsense, my queen,” claimed the older Gerudo. “The Great Ganondorf was no demon. He was a visionary -- a king who fought against the tyrannical rule of the Hylians, all for the benefit of his people. A statue of him standing in the square would be a constant reminder of what we should be fighting for.” Her side of the room cheered as she finished, bringing about angry shouting and accusations of treason from the opposition.

Commander Bularis tapped her battleaxe twice against the ground. Responding to her signal, the other guards in the room simultaneously tapped their own weapons against the ground, loudly and in near-perfectly sync. The menacing sound was enough to quiet the room again.

Harun leaned forward in his seat.

_ What will the queen say? _

He found this to be a useful exercise during court sessions such as this. If he could anticipate how the queen would resolve a conflict, it would mean he was learning how to rule as she did. He knew Urballa leaned more towards the Ganonite side of the Ganonite-Hylianite conflict, having expressed a desire for independence several times in the past. However, Lady Calisa was correct. What Lady Shabonne wanted was against their binding agreement with the Hyrulean Royal Family, which contained a clause expressly forbidding the worship of demonic figures, including Ganon. The queen could not do what she asked. However, meekly submitting to Hylian rule would make her appear weak in the eyes of her supporters.

_ No matter what she does, someone is going to want her dead. _

Harun leaned back and sighed, not in the least bit envious of her position at the moment.

_ I suppose she must refuse the request for the statue, but perhaps allow for something more subtle as a compromise? _

“Lady Shabonne,” the queen began. “I understand your sentiment. Ganondorf’s ideals are an inspiration to many, and his attempt to create a better world for our people must not be forgotten.”

“He was a fool and a murderer,” Lady Calisa objected. “He led a pointless rebellion that was doomed from the start, and then he came back with an army of exiled heretics to slaughter all who stood in his way. What about that is inspirational?”

_ “Lady Calisa,” _ Urballa said, loudly and sternly, causing the other woman to flinch. However, she spoke more gently once she had everyone’s attention. “I understand your reservations. It cannot be denied that the former king committed acts of great evil in his pursuit of a better world, and our alliance with the Hylians must not be broken if we are to maintain the delicate peace between our peoples.”

_ “Alliance,” _ Lady Shabonne repeated, mockingly. “Alliances are between equals, my queen. The Hylians do not see us that way. We are subjects for them to rule over, nothing more. They impose their unjust laws upon us, rob us of our livelihood, force us to fight their battles for them, stomp all over our way of life--”

“And in return, they give us a  _ new _ way of life,” Lady Calisa interrupted. “A  _ better _ way of life. One of peace and prosperity. One of piety. A land free of war, free of greed, free of--”

“We are not  _ free _ of anything!”

“We are  _ citizens _ of the greatest civilization the world has ever--”

Urballa snapped her fingers and the guards repeated the threatening sound of their weapons clanging against the ground. The shouting in the throne room slowly died down once again.

“You have both said your piece,” the queen said. She spoke quietly, a technique she often employed to force everyone to listen more closely. “And there is merit to what both of you have said. Now, I have much to discuss with my advisors regarding this matter. Please return tomorrow to hear my final decision. Thank you and good day.”

Lady Calisa and Lady Shabonne bowed together with their attendants and supporters, then filed out of the throne room, muttering in frustration.

Once her guests were gone, Queen Urballa sighed and relaxed on her throne, placing her palm to her face. “These squabbling children are quite the headache, are they not?” she said aloud to no one in particular.

“Be that as it may, my queen, their words must be heeded.” Lady Averla, the palace’s mistress-at-arms, approached the throne. “I believe Lady Calisa has the truth of it. We have no reason to anger the Hylians any further. Even now, Governor Vapith rides for the capital to request assistance. If we give her cause to bring the King of Hyrule’s armies back with her…”

“We have no reason to fear a fight,” Elder Kobami interrupted, speaking slowly in her raspy voice. “The Hylians have continuously rejected our proposal for independence, and they refuse to name Queen Urballa as governor, too. Soon enough, fighting will be the only option we have left.”

“I thank you for your counsel, Elder Kobami, Lady Averla,” the queen said, raising her hands to them both. “But I will hear no more of this presently. Let us reconvene on the matter later this afternoon. You are all dismissed.” Queen Urballa clapped her hands twice in quick succession and those remaining in the room began to clear out. Then she stood. “Come here, child,” she said with a warm smile, holding out her hand to Princess Sabah. The princess climbed out of her seat and took her mother’s hand. “Shall we visit the sand seal pen?”

The princess grinned happily. “Yes! That would be lovely, Mother.”

Harun watched the two of them with fascination. The queen was taking this rather well. There was a potentially serious decision to be made, but she did not appear pressured by it.

_ Were I in her place, I could think of nothing else until the matter was dealt with. _

“Prince Harun,” Lady Averla spoke, taking him out of his thoughts. “Come with me, young voe. It is time for training.”

Harun stood up and nodded to her. “Yes, my lady,” he said before following her out of the room, heading towards the training grounds. He had always appreciated Lady Averla’s guidance. Although she was a Hylianite, she did not despise him, nor did she ever accuse him of being the next Ganondorf.  _ “You are your own person,” _ she’d once told him.  _ “One cannot be held responsible for the actions of another.” _

In the training grounds, Harun and two dozen girls his age began their daily arms training. Lady Averla was skilled with all traditional Gerudo weapons and fighting styles, and each day she would drill them on or two of them. Spear, glaive, trident, claymore, battleaxe, scimitar, bow and arrow, even barehand -- future elite Gerudo warriors such as them were expected to know how to fight with them all. Most of the young ladies Harun trained with were the daughters of nobles living in either the palace or the surrounding city. Within the next year or two, they were to become honor guards in the palace or low level officers in the Gerudo army. Harun was the only exception. He would be king one day, but kings needed to know how to fight as well as anyone.

They had spear training on this day. The trainees had paired up and spread out across the sandy training pits, sparring with wooden spears as Lady Averla walked up and down the rows, observing and instructing. Harun’s sparring partner was a girl called Katta. Like all Gerudo, she had red hair, although she kept it cut relatively short, and her amber skin was a shade lighter than many of the others. She was shorter than Harun, although most were. It was said that Ganondorf had been 230 centimeters tall, and while Harun was only 225, he was still above the average Gerudo height of 215 centimeters.

“You seem distracted,” Katta told Harun as her blunt speartip pierced the air beside his head.

“Of course. You’re distracting me at this very moment,” Harun replied, dodging to the side. He thrust his spear at her, but she blocked it with her own. Before he could pull back, she kicked up some sand into his face, blinding him long enough for her to land a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground.

“You’re distracted,” she repeated, stepping over him and stabbing her spear into the ground next to his head. “Come on. You’re usually better than this. What’s the matter?”

“It is nothing, Katta,” Harun said, clasping her hand when she offered it to him. She helped pull him to his feet. “Well fought. Let me try that again.”

“If you say so, Your Grace,” she said teasingly, retrieving her spear.

“Perhaps the problem is with his sparring partner.” One of the other trainees in the sparring circle to their left leaned against her spear, watching them with a smirk. “What do you say, your highness? How about we switch dance partners? I take you, the Hylianite takes Emri,” she said, gesturing to her own partner.

“Um, Kyra? Maybe we shouldn’t bother the prince while he’s training…” her partner said, meekly clutching her spear and waiting for the other girl to continue.

“Or,” Katta said, stepping over to the edge of the circle towards Kyra. “How about you and I fight instead, and we let your cute friend keep Harun company for a bit while I kick your ass?” Emri gasped, but Kyra seemed ready to accept the challenge, stomping through the sand to meet Katta between their sparring circles.

“Hey!” the tall, muscular trainee in the circle on the other side called out to them. “Cease this squabbling, you two. Do not interrupt Prince Harun’s training.” Kyra and Katta glared at each other with defiant smiles on their faces for a moment before backing away, returning to their respective training partners.

Harun sighed. “Thank you, Laine,” he said to the tall girl. While he appreciated that she’d broken up the fight, her apparent motivation for doing so made him uncomfortable.

“You’re welcome, your highness,” Laine replied.

_ “You’re welcome, your highness,” _ Kyra repeated mockingly under her breath.

“Let’s just resume.” Harun lifted his spear and returned to his fighting stance.

Of all the nobles’ daughters Harun had been raised alongside, Katta was the one he gravitated to the most. Too many of the others were either Ganonites who went easy on him and gave him too much praise, Hylianites who seemed to despise him no matter what he did, or members of neither side who were afraid to socialize with him for fear of what others might think. Katta was different. Like Lady Averla, Katta’s mother was a Hylianite. However, Katta seemed rather indifferent to the whole conflict, and she didn’t seem to think it had anything to do with Harun either way.

In their next round, Harun performed much better. He tried his best to stay focused, and was successful at first, putting Katta on the defensive with a flurry of well placed strikes. Victory for the round was in his reach, but then he saw it. His mind wandered for only an instant, but in his mind’s eye, the maw of the dark beast appeared.  _ “Gah!” _ He shut his eyes and dropped his spear to the ground, his hands moving up to guard his face. When he opened his eyes again, Katta had lowered her spear.

“You gonna tell me that was nothing?” she asked. Her tone was somewhat playful, but she was clearly concerned as well.

“It… It was only…” Harun didn’t know what to say. It was bad enough to experience such visions as nightmares, but was he truly seeing the beast while he was awake now?

_ If so, things may be worse than I feared… _

“What is the matter, young voe?”

Harun turned and saw Lady Averla approaching. Apparently she had witnessed his episode.

“Nothing of any urgency, mistress,” Harun decided to say.

Lady Averla did not seem satisfied with that response. “Come to me once today’s training is complete,” she said before moving on to the next pair of trainees.

Harun carried on through the rest of his sets against Katta to the best of his ability. He did not experience any more flashes of the beast, but his worries still managed to keep him distracted, and he did not fare well.

After Lady Averla had dismissed everyone, Harun stayed where he was and watched the other trainees leave. Lady Averla also remained, waiting on the other side of the training pit. Katta stuck around, too. Harun considered telling her he was fine and that she was free to leave, but he knew better. If she’d wanted to leave, she would have. So, the two of them approached Lady Averla together once everyone else had left.

“Tell me what happened earlier, if you please,” Lady Averla said, speaking bluntly, but not unkindly.

Harun hesitated, not certain how to explain it. “It’s… the dreams.”

“The dreams?” Averla repeated. She thought for a moment before coming to a realization “You speak of the ones you had before? With the monster?”

Katta tilted her head in curiosity, leaning casually on her spear. Harun had never had reason to tell her about his nightmares before.

“Yes,” Harun confirmed. “The same.”

“I see. So you are having them again.” Lady Averla put her hand to her chin thoughtfully.

“Indeed. And with greater frequency,” he admitted. “Earlier, while I was sparring with Katta, the memory came to me. I could see it as clearly as I did in my dreams. It threw me off balance.”

“Do you recognize the monster in your dreams?” Averla asked.

“No, mistress,” Harun said. “But it makes me think of Ganon. People sometimes call him the Dark Beast. That is most certainly how I would describe the monster in my dreams.” He hated to admit that. While Harun had not yet made up his mind on what to think about King Ganondorf, the way everyone else always compared him to the old king made him wish to avoid acknowledging any possible connection between the two of them.

“It could be Ganon, or some representation of him,” Averla said. “I confess I know little of how the subconscious mind works. If I had to guess, I would say it was nothing more than a manifestation of your fears. The ignorant conflate you with the king of evil. I imagine that must weigh quite heavily on you, young voe.”

Harun nodded solemnly.

“Relax. You’re no king of evil,” Katta said. “You can’t let stupid gossip like that get the better of you.”

“The priestesses say dreams connect us to the spirits,” Harun said, recalling another conversation he’d had about his nightmares when he was younger. “What if it’s not merely a dream? What if someone’s trying to tell me something?”

“Someone like Ganondorf?”

Harun did not answer, but that was indeed what he feared.

“I am no more well versed in spirits, young voe,” Lady Averla told him.

“Why don’t we ask the Sage of Spirit, then?” Katta suggested. “She’ll be able to tell if spirits are really trying to talk to you. And if it’s an evil spirit like Ganon, perhaps she can exorcise it.”

“Do you think this would help?” Lady Averla asked Harun.

“I do not know,” Harun replied, skeptical that it would be so easy. “But it could not hurt to try.” Despite his doubts, he would be willing to try almost anything. He did not wish to admit how much the nightmares frightened him, but they’d been weighing on him quite heavily lately.

“Very well. That can be arranged,” Averla said. “I will speak with the queen about this. Perhaps she’ll be willing to send a summons to the sage.”

“Thank you, mistress,” Harun said gratefully. He bowed, so Katta did as well.

“Think nothing of it,” Averla said. “You’d best be going now, young voe. I believe you have your lessons with the witch next.” The witch who Lady Averla referred to was Elder Kobami. It wasn’t quite an insult since Kobami  _ was _ a witch, but Hylianites like Averla did not care for witches, and she always said the word with a thin layer of disgust in her voice.

Harun and Katta placed their training spears on the weapon rack and headed back into the palace. Many Gerudo witches like Kobami still clung to the old ways and would only teach a single apprentice rather than a class of students, so Harun’s lessons with Kobami were one-on-one. Katta would not be joining him, but she chose to walk with him anyway.

“So… you think you’re really being haunted or something?” Katta asked. Harun could tell she would rather just be making a joke out of it, but she was being strangely cautious.

“Maybe,” Harun answered. “Everyone always says I’m connected to Ganon. Perhaps they were right after all.”

“Pfft, who cares?” Katta said, lightly smacking him in the shoulder. “Even if the king of evil himself starts whispering in your ear every night, it’s not like you have to listen to him. Just tell him to fuck off.”

Harun furrowed his brow, looking at her with amusement. “Do you believe that is what the Hylian Hero of Twilight said when he faced down the demon king?  _ Fuck off?” _ Katta laughed heartily at this notion.

When they reached the doors to Elder Kobami’s chambers, Katta stopped before she got too close. “Well, good luck with the witch, Your Grace,” she said. “I’ll see ya tonight then, yeah?”

“Of course. I would not refuse your presence.” Harun gave her a mock bow to match her own, then walked through the door.

The witch’s study was a grim place. There were no windows or lightwells. Only a few candles of dim violet flame allowed for any sort of visibility. All throughout the room, cauldrons of potions bubbled while large wooden spoons, kept aloft by precise enchantments of wind magic, gave the appearance of stirring the pots on their own. Jars and vials of herbs, body parts of animals and monsters, and various other reagents stocked the many shelves, along with a great number of dusty old books. The skull of some sort of animal was mounted on the wall, its empty eye sockets still somehow appearing to stare at any who entered. After taking a few steps into the room, a sudden rush of wind blew the door shut behind Harun.

“Welcome, young one.” Elder Kobami sat cross-legged on a pillow atop a raised stone platform at one end of the room. “Are you ready to continue your studies?”

“Yes, elder one,” Harun replied. “I am prepared.” He tried to ignore the chill up his spine. Kobami always unnerved him a little, even when she was being friendly. She seemed like a frail old woman on the surface, but he knew what dark magic she was capable of.

“Good,” Kobami said, climbing to her feet and holding out her hand. On the far wall, a walking cane and a dark black trident rattled for a moment before flying across the room. The cane landed in Kobami’s hand, while Harun caught the trident, wincing in slight pain at the sudden impact. It was not the most practical weapon for actual combat, but this particular trident had been created to function more like a sorcerer’s staff. “Come,” Kobami beckoned. Harun, walking very slowly, followed her to another door on the other side of the room. Through it was a small, empty, square room with a stone floor and braziers of violet flame on the walls. It was in this room that they were free to practice spellcraft without fear of damaging the elder’s belongings.

For today’s lesson, the witch had Harun practice what she called ‘shadowbinding _ , _ ’ a magical technique that involved conjuring and shaping clouds of a black, smoke-like substance to resemble shadows come to life. In addition to simple applications like creating a cover of obscuring darkness, these shadows could be solidified to create walls or attack an opponent from a safe distance. Harun had witnessed the witch make use of such spells several times.

“Make a phantom of yourself,” Elder Kobami commanded, kneeling on a pillow by the wall while Harun stood in the center of the room. “Have it match your size and shape as closely as possible.”

“Yes, elder one.” Harun gripped his trident firmly with both hands and breathed deeply, focusing and running through the spellwork in his head. To his left, a coil of black smoke formed on the ground, growing larger and larger. Once it was about the right size, Harun worked to shape it, giving it arms and legs and a head.

“Smoother,” Kobami commanded. Harun’s phantom was now a proper humanoid shape, but its edges were hazy. It still looked more like a cloud of smoke than a living shadow.

Harun took another deep breath and tried focusing his spellwork, but the magic wasn’t coming to him. His phantom was packed somewhat tighter, but it was still hazy.

“Focus, young one,” the witch instructed. “Visualize what you mean to conjure.”

He closed his eyes in concentration and tried to picture his living shadow, but almost as soon as he did, he saw the beast again. It opened its great jaws, moving towards him, ready to swallow him. He gasped, opened his eyes, and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground and dropping his trident. His smoky shadow dispersed. “Apologies, elder one,” Harun said after a moment, panting.

Elder Kobami smiled. “You must learn to command the shadows,” she said. As she spoke, without any shift in the flickering flames on the walls, her shadow began to lengthen. “They do not frighten you. They obey you.” Harun watched as the witch’s shadow reached the wall, climbing up it. Suddenly, the shadow moved, stepping out from the wall, no longer a two-dimensional projection. It was as if Kobami herself were standing there beside them, only completely devoid of color. “Combine your phantom with a simple illusion spell, and you have the perfect means to deceive your enemies,” she went on. With a wave of her hand, color came to the shadow. A perfect double of Elder Kobami now stood in the room. It grinned a toothless grin and stepped over to Harun, offering him its hand. He took it. The phantom hand did not feel like real flesh, but it was solid enough to touch. It pulled him to his feet, seeming stronger than the real Elder could realistically be. Once he was standing, the phantom lost its color again, melting into a cloud of black smoke before retreating back into Kobami’s shadow.

Harun was unnerved by the event. He’d already known the witch possessed this power, but it was frightening to be reminded of it. The Kobami he was looking at right now could be a phantom as well, for all he knew. She could be a phantom at any time, and so could anybody else in the palace.

“It is not the shadows that frighten me,” Harun said when Kobami finished her demonstration. “It’s what I see in them.”

“What do you see?” the witch inquired.

Harun hesitated, regretting that he’d said anything at all. Elder Kobami was extremely Ganonite-leaning, much more so than Queen Urballa. She would likely be overjoyed if she came to suspect the former demon king were haunting his dreams. The nightmares were hard enough to handle without someone telling him to embrace them.

“A beast,” Harun said. “The dark beast I see in my dreams. It’s as if it haunts me even while I’m awake now.”

Just as he’d feared, a toothless grin spread across Elder Kobami’s wrinkled face. “Good. Good. It seems the Great Ganondorf truly has chosen you as his successor.”

Harun knit his brow.

_ I pray that is not the case. _

“Does the Great One speak to you?” Kobami asked.

“No, elder one,” Harun responded. “It does not appear as a man. Only a beast. It opens its jaws to devour, not to speak.”

“Hmm…” Kobami put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps his spirit is yet to fully awaken within you. We must consult the Sage of Spirit at once.”

“What?” The prince found it somewhat disturbing that she had come to the same conclusion as Katta and Averla, despite viewing the issue in the opposite light.

“She may be able to draw out the Great One’s full power,” the old woman explained. “Only then can you take your rightful place as his heir and finish what he started.”

Harun suppressed an exasperated sigh. “I have told Lady Averla of my dreams as well. She has already agreed to ask the queen to summon the Sage of Spirit so she might counsel me.”

Elder Kobami cackled. “I am elated to hear that Lady Averla and I see eye to eye for once. The Great Ganondorf is performing miracles already.”

Harun was never sure how much to trust Elder Kobami when it came to her views on King Ganondorf. She was probably one of only a handful of humans left in the world who had been alive during Ganondorf’s second coming, but she claimed to have never seen him in person during that time. She only knew of him through text and word of mouth, same as anyone else.

“I hope the sage will be able to aid me,” Harun said vaguely.

“As do I,” Kobami agreed. “Now then, let us continue your training. We can meet with Queen Urballa when we are finished for today.”

* * *

Harun did not actually get another chance to see the queen until much later in the day. Both of them kept very busy schedules most days, and Harun did not presume himself and his troubles to be important enough to take up anyone else’s attention.

When the time for his audience with the queen finally came, Harun was let in through the great double doors at the front of the throne room by a pair of Iron Knuckles standing guard outside. He walked past the great statues of the Heroines, the water features, and the stone pillars to approach the throne. The spacious room was empty apart from himself, Queen Urballa, and a pair of harem girls draped over the sides of the queen’s throne. They stared up at Urballa lovingly while her hand cupped one’s chin and her other hand brushed the other’s hair, a flirty smile upon her face. The queen did not seem to notice Harun’s presence until he had nearly reached them, at which point she quietly dismissed the girls. The two of them stood and flittered out through the side exit, giggling to themselves. Harun’s gaze could not help but follow them until they were out of sight before he turned his attention to Urballa.

Harun cleared his throat uncomfortably. “My queen,” he spoke, getting down on one knee and bowing his head.

“Rise,” Urballa said casually, waving her hand, so he stood. “Elder Kobami and Lady Averla shall be joining us shortly,” the queen stated. “They have both informed me of your situation already. I understand your dreams have gotten worse as of late?”

Harun nodded. “Yes, my queen. Both my teachers agree it has become an issue.” Behind him, he heard the sound of the great doors opening once again. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lady Averla had entered. Not a minute later, one of the side doors opened, and in came Elder Kobami, hobbling along on her cane.

“My queen,” Lady Averla spoke as she knelt and bowed beside Harun.

“Rise,” Queen Urballa said quickly, looking mildly peeved to have to keep saying it every time someone entered. However, when Kobami joined them in front of the throne, she did not kneel, being much too feeble to bother with another opportunity to hurt her hips. “Now, then,” Urballa went on. “We all seem to be in agreement already, so let’s keep this brief, shall we? Prince Harun, do you wish to consult the Sage of Spirit about your dreams?”

“Yes, my queen. I think that would be most wise.” Harun had never met the sage. She spent all her time at the Spirit Temple to the south, and he had never left the city of Naboris before.

“Very well. And the two of you have no objections?” Urballa asked Averla and Kobami.

“Correct. The sage is likely our best chance to awaken the Great Ganondorf’s power that dwells within the prince,” Elder Kobami answered. “War with the Hylians could be upon us any day now, so this must be treated as a matter of the utmost urgency.” The witch often spoke as if war were right around the corner, but Harun usually got the impression that she was simply hoping for that to be the case.

“I agree that the sage should be consulted as well,” Averla said. “But not for the reasons the witch speaks of. While I am not convinced the young voe’s dreams have anything to do with the former king, if they do, we must request the sage cure him of this ailment at once.”

“Why would we squander such a potentially powerful weapon just when it is needed most?” Elder Kobami argued.

“The prince is no weapon,” Lady Averla countered. “Any power the demon king could provide is best avoided, for all of Hyrule’s sake.”

_ By the gods, even now... _

The prince and the queen shared a look. “Regardless, we are in agreement that the prince will consult with the Sage of Spirit. Anything else can be decided upon hearing her counsel.”

“Very well, my queen,” Kobami said with a slow nod. “Shall I send a messenger to summon her here?”

“No. We shall go to her,” Urballa declared.

“We shall? But why?” Averla asked.

“Sending someone across the desert to deliver a message only for her to cross the desert herself afterwards would take twice as long,” the queen explained. “Besides, the sage’s power is at its strongest within her Patron’s temple.”

“But my queen, we are forbidden from taking Prince Harun out of the city,” Averla objected. “That would violate our agreement with the Hyrulean Royal Family!”

“Not true,” Urballa corrected. “He may go anywhere I go, provided it is a matter of emergency. And what could be considered an emergency, if not being haunted by a demon king’s spirit?”

Elder Kobami cackled. “Very astute, my queen,” she praised.

“I suppose this is true,” Averla relented.

“Splendid,” Queen Urballa said. “Make all necessary arrangements. We leave tomorrow at dawn.” With a wave of her hand, she dismissed them. Harun and his teachers turned to leave, but she spoke again. “Stay a moment longer, Harun. I still wish to speak with you.”

Harun stopped in his tracks and waited until his teachers had exited the throne room. “Yes, my queen?” he asked.

“You seem upset,” she noted.

Harun furrowed his brow, then realized his jaw had been clenched for some time now. “It is only the circumstances,” he claimed. “Nothing more.”

“Oh?” the queen said, sounding unconvinced. “Then I supposed it has nothing to do with your teachers’ conflicting advice?”

Harun scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. There were complaints to be made about Lady Averla and Elder Kobami, but he was uncertain if it would be proper for him to express criticism of his elders.

“Does it bother you when they do that?” the queen pushed.

Harun sighed. “Well, it  _ is _ quite difficult to please them both when their desires are incompatible,” he replied. “I can’t very well fight with both honor and trickery, nor can I both distance myself from Ganon as well as become his successor.”

“It is quite the dilemma,” Urballa agreed with a nod. “Ruling a kingdom is no different, you know. You witnessed how Lady Averla and Elder Kobami advised me quite differently this morning on the matter of the Ganon statue.”

“How is it helpful to have your advisers pulling you in opposite directions like that?” Harun asked. From his point of view, he could not see it as anything but frustrating, and not in the least bit helpful.

“Why, I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Queen Urballa stood up from her throne and walked down the carpeted steps to where Harun stood. “How many people were in this room this morning?” she asked, walking past him and gesturing to the big empty space before them.

Harun was not quite following what she was saying. “Several dozen,” he said. “Maybe a hundred.”

“More,” she said, turning back to face him. “Beyond that, there are a quarter million people in this city. And even more spread throughout this kingdom. Every single one of them has wants and needs, thoughts and ideas. Why should my advisers all want the same thing? How could I possibly hope to lead so many people with only one frame of mind?”

“...I see.” Harun was not sure what to say. What the queen was telling him made sense, but trying to please everyone seemed impossible.

“You and my daughter are to rule together one day.” Urballa climbed the steps back to her throne, standing beside it and running a hand along the carved stone. “You must learn how to draw wisdom from many places.”

“What  _ do _ you plan to do about the Ganon statue?” Harun asked after a moment, thinking perhaps it would help him better understand her thought process if he were to know how the queen planned to settle a dispute like that.

“There will be a statue,” Urballa said. “But not of King Ganon. Instead, it will be of Queen Nabooru.”

“Nabooru?” Harun asked. “For whom Naboris is named?”

“Correct. In her time, the Gerudo ruler’s seat of power was in Taafei, where the Hylian governor now sits. Nabooru’s successor built this city around a great oasis in the heart of the desert, and named it in her honor,” Urballa explained. “Queen Nabooru is beloved by Ganonites and Hylianites alike, as she was both a loyal servant of King Ganondorf during his initial reign and a cooperative ally to the Hylians after it. Not all will be appeased by this compromise, no doubt, but members of neither side will wish to insult Nabooru’s memory by rejecting her statue, and it can be appreciated no matter how one views Ganon.”

“And how do  _ you _ view Ganon?” Harun knew it was bold to ask that question, but he could not help it. He knew she leaned toward the Ganonite side, but she most often played at being neutral. He wanted her full, honest opinion.

The queen smiled. “Walk with me, young voe.” Turning away from her throne, she walked behind it towards the opening in the wall that led out to the balcony, her green and gold heeled sandals clinking against the stone floor as she moved. Harun hurried up the steps, walking fast in order to catch up with her. Together, they stepped out onto the balcony and into the harsh midday sun. “Look around you,” Queen Urballa said, standing at the railing and gesturing to the landscape with a wave of her arm. “Tell me what you see.”

Harun looked. The palace was located at the southwestern edge of the city, and from this side of it, one could see nothing but endless desert. Miles and miles of sand, with some cacti, boulders, and exposed animal bones scattered throughout. “I see nothing,” Harun said, hoping that was the correct answer.

“Yes,” Urballa confirmed. “That is exactly what King Ganondorf saw when he stood atop his fortress and looked over his kingdom. A country within a vast desert. Burning winds when the sun rose, frigid gales when the sun set. A sea of monsters hidden beneath the sand, and not enough food or water to go around.” Her arms had risen in gesture as she spoke, but she lowered them again as she faced Harun. “But in Hyrule, he saw something different. Fields of lush green, bountiful harvests, and everything the Hylians wanted. Everything  _ our _ people  _ needed. _ ”

“...My queen?” Harun was unsure how to respond. Queen Urballa was being far more serious than usual, but the way she spoke of their people’s plight made it clear this was something she had thought about quite a bit.

Urballa blinked and shook her head, as if coming back from her thoughts. “My point being, he cared about his people. He wanted a better life for them,” she went on. “That is what any good ruler wants.”

“But his rebellion failed before it had even begun,” Harun pointed out. He feared he had spoken too boldly once again, but he felt the need to say his piece and express his doubts regarding King Ganondorf. “And when he returned from exile, he started a war. Thousands died, and for all the pain and suffering he caused, our people  _ still  _ live in this desert.”

The queen smiled weakly at him. “True, true,” she said. “You asked me my opinion of the man. The best I can say is I admire him for what he wished to achieve, but I abhor how he attempted to achieve it.” She reached out her arm and placed a hand on Harun’s shoulder. “Elder Kobami will tell you to be like Ganondorf. Lady Averla might tell you to be his opposite. My advice to you?  _ Learn  _ from him. There is much to be learned from his successes  _ and  _ from his failures. But when all is said and done, you will need to decide for yourself how to be a good ruler.”

“But how will I know how to do that?” Harun suddenly felt a great weight on his shoulders, one he was certain Urballa must feel quite often in her position.

“I wish I could give you an easy answer,” the queen said. “But I do not know either. All we can do is try.”


End file.
